<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Enslin Effect by theskullofhorror666</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25802404">The Enslin Effect</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskullofhorror666/pseuds/theskullofhorror666'>theskullofhorror666</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>1408 (2007)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Conspiracy Theories, Horror, Inspired by Stephen King, Mike Enslin - Freeform, Non-Binary Main Character, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Queer Character, Queer Main Characters, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Writers, mandela effect</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:34:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25802404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskullofhorror666/pseuds/theskullofhorror666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the fate of occult writer Mike Enslin is one of many hotly debated Mandela effect theories, avid fan and aspiring writer, Jay Vasher is determined to get inside the infamous 1408 and find out for certain if their favorite writer really did just stop writing or if the collective memory of his death is more than just a false remembering.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character(s)/Original Non-Binary Character(s)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Conspiracy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Agitation was written all over Jay Vasher’s face as they sat, head in one hand and aggressively typing at their laptop with their other hand.“UnFUCKINGbelievable.” They muttered to themself.<br/>
They were so wrapped up in their impatience, that they almost didn’t hear the front door opening. A brief smile snuck across their face.<br/>
“So, today’s theories aaaare” They announced. “Either Alyna’s home…..orrr the world’s hottest burglar just cracked the security system.”<br/>
“My money’s on the former!” She teased, setting her stuff down to make her way down the hall. “Except that you forget that our so called security system is just a locked door, and a bearded dragon in the living room.”<br/>
“True. I say we fire him, effective immediately.”</p><p>She crept in the half open bedroom door, sneaking up behind them and thus dragging their attention away from the screen as she playfully held her phone up behind their head.<br/>
“Give me the money and nobody gets hurt!”<br/>
“Ahh, Mikey. Help. I’m being assaulted.” They responded nonchalantly. “Damnit, this is why you're being fired.”<br/>
She stole a kiss on their cheek. “Whatcha up to, anyway? You seem like you’re in a mood.”<br/>
They let out an exasperated sigh. “Hulu is essentially USELESS at password recovery. I’ve tried resetting several times, it keeps either bringing me to a page to re enter it, or sending a reset link that never shows up in my inbox.”<br/>
“That’s weird….did you check your spam folder?”<br/>
“Three times.” They sighed. And yes, I gave it time. It’s been half an hour.”<br/>
Alyna began to rack her brain. “.....It’s still BeardedMikey217, right?”<br/>
Jay threw their arms up. “Last time <em>I</em> checked, anyway.”<br/>
“Here, lemme see it.” She sighed, turning the computer toward her to reach the keyboard better.<br/>
She mumbled the each letter under her breath as she typed it out “.....k..e..y...217”<br/>
Jay shot her an annoyed glare as the computer screen switched to the profile screen. “...How?.....or better yet, why?”<br/>
“Tell me how you were spelling it.”<br/>
“I <em>know</em> our password, Al.” They sighed.<br/>
“That’s not what I asked.<br/>
Jay shook their head. “Bearded_Mikey217.<br/>
“BeardedMikey217 doesn’t have any spaces or underscores in it.” She explained. “Or dashes..or…”<br/>
“I got it.” They grumbled, picking up the Roku remote to sign in there and start flipping through the <em>my stuff</em> section.<br/>
“What do you need it for right now, anyway?” She asked, sliding her arms lovingly around their neck. “I thought you were writing today.”<br/>
“I <em>am</em> writing.” They corrected. “....Or rather, brainstorming….and for that, I need background noise.<br/>
“Right.” She chuckled. “I still don’t understand how you can do that. I wouldn’t be able to focus.”<br/>
“Alyna Whitley, are you doubting my methods again?” Jay teased, turning back and forth in their computer chair. “That’s twice this week, now.”<br/>
“So, what are you gonna do about it” Alyna smirked, sitting on their lap.”<br/>
“Iiiii don’t know.” They shrugged. “Probably suspend your reading of my chapters privileges.”<br/>
“Ohhhh  noooo, don’t do that” Alyna teased back. “I’ll be good, I’ll be good!”<br/>
Jay rolled their eyes. “Right, I can literally feel the devastation just radiating off of you.”<br/>
“Ohh, come on. You know I’m kidding.” She chuckled. “I would be bummed if you did that.”<br/>
“Oh yeah, how bummed?”<br/>
“Like maybe I’d have to order our pizza later with pineapple.” She snickered.<br/>
Jay raised their eyebrows. “You wouldn’t <em>Dare.</em>”<br/>
“Ohh, but I <em>would.</em>”<br/>
“Ughh….damnit, I know you would.”<br/>
She kissed their cheek as she got up and made her way to the door. “Alright, well let me know when you have something for me to read.”<br/>
“Always do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Babe? I’m short on a tip for the delivery guy, do you happen to have a five?” Alyna called from the living room.<br/>
“Just tip him a twenty, he’s earned it!” Jay called back, not looking up from the YouTube video they were now focused on.<br/>
“Jaayyy!”<br/>
“Alright, alright!” Jay chuckled, pulling out their wallet as they stood up. “I’m comin, I’m comin!”<br/>
Jay held their wallet up when they reached where Alyna was standing at the door. “Ahh! What’s the magic word?”<br/>
“Jay, just gimme it.” She sighed, trying not to laugh.<br/>
“Actually, the magic word was <em></em>dolphin, but I’ll let it slide just this once.” They smirked, handing over the five.<br/>
“I am so sorry about them.” She sighed as she handed the five to the pizza guy.<br/>
“It’s all good. Have a good day.”<br/>
“Hey, don’t tell us what to do!” Jay snickered, digging into the garlic knots already.<br/>
Alyna shook her head as she shut the door behind the guy and turned to face Jay. “What am I gonna do with you?”<br/>
“I know.” They laughed. “How do you even put up with me?”<br/>
Alyna shook her head again. “Trust me, I ask myself that <em>every</em> day.”<br/>
“Yeaahh, but you love it!” Jay snickered.<br/>
“And leave some for me!” She chuckled, taking the box of garlic knots away from them.<br/>
“Awww…” They tried to stifle back a laugh as they headed back towards the hallway. “Well, you go ahead and get yours. I got a YouTube video I wanna finish real quick, only like ten minutes left.”<br/>
“YouTube?” Alyna proclaimed, obviously puzzled. “I thought you were writing.”<br/>
“Well this is writing related.” They explained.<br/>
“Are you watching Mike Enslin conspiracy videos again.”<br/>
“Who said I ever <em>stop?</em>” They smirked. “....other than to write, eat pizza, and fight with Hulu passwords?”<br/>
“My point exactly.” Alyna chuckled.<br/>
“Well, this guy makes a valid point…..actually, several. It’s pretty clear that Mike Enslin did die in that room.”<br/>
Alyna rolled her eyes. “I think there’s a lot of evidence to prove that he didn’t. You hear about celebrities dying all the time. Couldn’t it just be that someone got him mixed up with someone else and y’all just jumped onto this silly conspiracy theory.”<br/>
“Right. Well then, where is he? Why isn’t he writing books anymore?”<br/>
“I don’t know!” Alyna shrugged. “Plenty of explanations! He wasn’t that well known. Maybe whatever he saw in that room traumatized him, so he decided to keep himself out of the spotlight.”<br/>
“For six years though?”<br/>
“I didn’t say it wasn’t weird. I just said it makes sense.”<br/>
“I mean it really doesn’t.” Jay sighed. “But okay.”<br/>
Alyna rolled her eyes again, as she went to take the food into the kitchen. “Just hurry up, alright?”<br/>
“All I’m saying is Jim Morrison’s allegedly been spotted on occasion and Enslin hasn’t!” They called after her "Connect the dots!"<br/>
“If you say so!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Proposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Noticing that Alyna was absorbed with scrolling through her Facebook feed, while she waited for them, Jay took the opportunity to leap up and over the couch to startle her from behind. <br/>“BLAAHH!!” <br/>Alyna jumped almost a foot from where she sat, tossing her phone across the room in the commotion. “AAHHH!!! Jaayyyyy!”<br/>Jay snickered maniacally as they scooted up closer to her, setting the dish they’d brought with them on the coffee table. “Got you again, you’re so easy!” A little too much pride in their tone for Alyna’s liking.<br/>“How do you always manage to do that without spilling anything?” She proclaimed, noting how the pizza and garlic knots on their plate seemed to once again be entirely intact and accounted for.<br/>“Yeears of practice, darling!” Jay chuckled, taking a bite of their pizza.<br/>“It’s barely been one year since we moved in here.” Alyna pointed out.<br/>Jay slid their arm up on the couch, so that it was around her. “Well, maybe I’m just <em>that</em> good.<br/>“Right.” She chuckled. “...So, we gonna watch something? Orrr what?”<br/>“What.” Jay smirked.<br/>“Ha ha.”<br/>“Alright, yes.” They chuckled. “But first, I have a proposition for you, and hear me out!”<br/>“I’m not watching more conspiracy videos with you.” Alyna insisted.<br/>“I wouldn’t ask that.” Jay scoffed, as if offended.<br/>“Thank you.”<br/>“....Buuut…..I <em>would</em> ask you to take a trip to NYC with me.” Jay sipped their drink, awaiting her reaction.<br/>“.....Okay..I’m waiting for the catch…”<br/>“...And maaayyybee stay a night or two at The Dolphin hotel, close enough to the room where-”<br/>“THERE it is!” Alyna cut them off mid sentence.<br/>“Ohh, come onnnn. You don’t even believe that it’s true.” They tried to defend.<br/>“I believe in everything else that’s in that room! Just because I don’t believe one particular spirit is there, doesn’t mean I wanna touch that room with a ten foot pole.”<br/>“I wouldn't ask you to go in it.” Jay sighed. “Just <em>me.</em> We would stay in the room next door….or across from it…..or down the hall, or however close we can get to it, and then <em>I</em>…...would sort of try to break into the room and see if his spirit is one of the ones in that room.”<br/>Alyna shook her head. “And when it’s not?”<br/>“<em>If</em>  it’s not.” Jay corrected.<br/>“If….whatever.” Alyna scoffed. “If it’s not, then what?”<br/>Jay shrugged. “....Well, then I guess you’d get to say I told you so.”<br/>“....As satisfying as that would be…” Alyna sighed. “I’m not letting you get yourself killed just because you provoked some spirits trying to prove, or disprove, this silly little theory of yours.”<br/>“It’s <em>NOT</em> just a” They held up air quotes. “Silly little theory….a <em>lot</em> of people agree with the evidence.”<br/>“And a <em>lot</em> of people think that Jim Morrison faked his death.” Alyna sighed. “But you don’t see me flying us out to France to drop by the Pere Lachaise cemetery to dig up his grave!”<br/>“Well, if you did, you would have my full support.” Jay smirked. “Come oonnnn...please?”<br/>Alyna shook her head. “If anything happened to you in that fucking room, I’d never be able to live with myself.”<br/>“Which is why I’m not gonna dick around in there.” Jay tried to persuade. “As soon as I get what I need to prove this thing, I’m out. And then I’m yours for the rest of the weekend…..maybe we can even go sightseeing.” They shot her the most pitiful puppy dog like eyes they could manage. “I know how you’ve always wanted to do that.”<br/>“Damnit, you’re good.” She muttered under her breath, taking another minute to think it over. “....You’re really set on this?”<br/>Jay shrugged, “If you say no, I’ll just go without you.”<br/>“You are not arguing fair!” She complained. “.....fine...but if you’re in there for more than an hour, I’m coming in after you.”<br/>Jay wrapped their arms around her. “Thank you, thank you Thank you! I promise, you won’t regret it.”<br/>“So when were you thinking?”<br/>“I was thinking we’d aim for this weekend….assuming we can get a room on that floor by then.” They answered.<br/>“Alright, this weekend it is.” She got up to go retrieve her phone from the other side of the room. “Iiiin the meantime….what sounds good to watch?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, thank you so much...yeah, you too.” Jay hung up the phone as they entered the bedroom.<br/>Alyna looked up from the book she was reading. “We all good?”<br/>Jay nodded. “Weee are all set for this weekend, for room 1412, check in’s on Friday, and I only got misgendered once.”<br/>“Ahh, so wins all around then.”<br/>Jay nodded, taking the spot next to her on the bed. “Allll the way around, baby.”<br/>Alyna chuckled. “So, 1412, huh? You didn’t want 1413?”<br/>“1412 is one number closer to 1408” They explained. “...plus, I didn’t think I could get you to stay in 13, given what I’m doing.”<br/>Alyna nodded. “Staying in the thirteenth room of the thirteenth floor to break into an already cursed room…..yeah, I’m not a superstitious person, but I think I would’ve tied you to the bed until you changed that reservation.”<br/>“Well, that seems a little drastic.”<br/>She tossed her book at them. “And breaking into a room where several people died, just to prove or disprove a theory isn’t?!”<br/>“Oww!” Jay chuckled, throwing it back at her. “No, it’s not. And there’s nothing to <em>dis</em>prove.”<br/>Alyna shook her head. “Great, see what you do? Now, I’ve lost my place.”<br/>“How is this <em>my</em> fault when <em>you’re</em> the one throwing books around?”<br/>Alyna chuckled. “Because <em>you’re</em> the one provoking me, dick!”<br/>Jay crawled over to her on the bed. “Ohh, I’m the dick?”<br/>“Yes, you are.” She smirked. “.....but, you’re <em>my</em> dick.”<br/>Jay chuckled like a goddamned child at the implication. “That sounded <em>sooo</em> wrong on <em> sooo </em> many levels.”<br/>Alyna shoved them back playfully. “Oh come on, you perv, you knew what I meant!”<br/>“More fun this way.” They snickered, kissing her on the cheek.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Check In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alyna shook her head as she packed up the rest of her suitcase. “I wanna go on record saying this is a bad idea.”<br/>Jay brought the tape recorder they were holding close to their lips as they spoke into it. “Note: Alyna <em>still</em> thinks this is a bad idea, still holding onto some <em>minuscule</em> glimmer of hope that I may change my mind-”<br/>“Oh, I gave up on that a long tim-” She started to interrupt, til Jay held up their finger to give them a minute.<br/>Jay pressed the button back down on their tape recorder. “...But, we don’t rattle. Do we?”<br/>“What is <em>that?</em>” Alyna chuckled.<br/>Jay held it up for her to see. “Tape recorder.”<br/>Alyna rolled her eyes. “Wow, really? Tell me more.” She shook her head. “I meant the thing you just said.”<br/>“It’s what Mike Enslin is quoted as saying on his own tape recorder, the night the hotel manager pulled it out of the wreckage.”<br/>Alyna nodded. “I see….”<br/>Jay raised their eyebrows. “Oh, you disagree?”<br/>“Oh I believe he said that. From what you’ve told me he said it on multiple occasions…”<br/>Jay folded their arms across their chest. “Uh huhh…”<br/>“...I just disagree with how said manager acquired said tape recording.” She explained.<br/>Now Jay was shaking their head. “ I see, so you just think that Mike Enslin just handed over the only solid evidence he had of having survived that room?” They scoffed. :Give me a break.”<br/>Alyna shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe he sold it to him, maybe he just wanted to rub it in that he survived. I’m sure that wasn’t his only solid proof.”<br/>“Ohhh, but it was.” Jay countered. “Enslin always recorded his time spent in any hotel he stayed at on his trusty tape recorder.”<br/>Alyna rolled her eyes, opting not to argue about it much further. “Whatever. Are you about packed yet?”<br/>Jay zipped up a compartment on their own bag“Almost...just gotta check a couple more things off this list and we’re all set.”<br/>“Alright, well hurry up then.” Alyna sighed, on her way to the bathroom.<br/>“Can’t rush perfection, darling!” They called back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Alyna shook her head as Jay started to turn on their third podcast since the two of them had started the drive to the infamous Dolphin Hotel.<br/>“Isn't it enough that I agreed to accompany you on this obsession of yours without having to listen to it the whole way there? It’s an hour drive from Buffalo.”<br/>Jay switched off their podcast. “Fine, if you don’t want my company, I guess I’ll just read for the rest of the drive.”<br/>“Very funny.”<br/>“Nah, I’m serious.” Jay pulled out their copy of Enslin’s <em>10 Haunted Hotels</em> and held it so that it was covering their face.<br/>Alyna rolled her eyes. “Jay, you know that’s not what I meant.”<br/>“Toooo late.” They smirked, turning the page. “I’m already gone.”<br/>“Jaayyyy.”<br/>“Shhh!” They brought a finger to their lips. “I’m reading.<br/>“Are you?” Alyna smirked, taking Jay’s book as she stopped the car at the light.<br/>“Joke’s on you, now you’re responsible for finding where I left off.”<br/>“You turned to the first page.”<br/>Jay raised their finger. “Cause that’s where I <em>wanted</em> you to think I was.” They were trying desperately not to laugh.<br/>Alyna grumbled, tossing their book back to them as the light turned green. “I really <em>can’t</em> win with you, can I?”<br/>“I think you know the answer to that.”<br/>Alyna rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, I do.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Ooooh whoooohooooooo hoooo hooo hoooooooooo!” Jay teased when they finally reached the hotel entrance<br/>Alyna couldn't help but laugh. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”<br/>“Well, if I’m not, then why are you laughing?” They pointed out.<br/>She shook her head. “You caught me in a moment of weakness.” <br/>Jay patted her head as they pulled their luggage to the front desk.</p><p>They were greeted by a friendly receptionist. “Good evening folks, checking in?”<br/>Jay slid their wallet out of their pocket. “Yes, Jay Vasher. Three nights.”<br/>“Yes…” She hesitated for a moment as she looked back up at Jay. “...Sir….and how are we spelling that tonight?”<br/>“V, A, S….”<br/>“H, E, R?” She asked.<br/>Jay nodded. “You got it…” They watched as she typed it into her computer. “...Maybe tomorrow I’ll spell it differently.” Jay joked with a shrug. “Can’t say, I haven’t decided yet.”<br/>Alyna playfully elbowed them, under the desk, as the receptionist accepted Jay’s credit card and ID.<br/>“Alright, Mr. Vasher…”<br/>“Oh, it’s Mx, actually.” They corrected nervously. “M, X. It’s ah, it’s neutral.”<br/>“Mx. Vasher. My apologies.”<br/>“Jay shrugged. “Common mistake.”<br/>She smiled. “Well, here are your room keys. Enjoy your stay.”<br/>“Thanks very much.”</p><p>Alyna raised her eyebrows as they made their way to the elevators. “Wow, disproving conspiracy theories <em>and</em> scoring a gender confusion in one night? You’re just on a roll, arent you?”<br/>Jay chuckled. “Now <em>you</em> think <em>you're</em> funny. I still expect you to find the spot in my book that you lost.”<br/>“Oh do you?” She smirked.<br/>Jay pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. “Would I kid about something like that?”<br/>“I think that’s exactly the kind of thing you’d kid about.”<br/>“Sure, sure. Hold that thought…” Jay chuckled, pulling their tape recorder out of their bag.<br/>“Oh my God….” Alyna snickered under her breath.<br/>“I heard that.” Jay chuckled, holding the tape recorder closer. “Note, the just conspicuous enough,jump in floors from twelve to fourteen….putting both our room number and 1408’s room number technically on the thirteenth floor….thanks to good old superstition.”<br/>“Do you really need to record <em>every</em> detail of this trip?” Alyna asked, once Jay clicked the little stop button on said recorder. “Shall I record the next time I take a crap too?”<br/>Jay shook their head. “Well, now who’s on a roll tonight…..and I told you, I’m <em>proving</em> it. There’s still nothing to <em>dis</em>prove.<br/>“Riiiight.” Alyna answered, in a slightly mocking tone. “My bad.”<br/>“Yeah, your bad.” Jay snickered as they got off on their floor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Here Goes Nothing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alyna came out of the bathroom, promptly letting herself fall back onto the hotel bed and landing next to Jay who had already spread their file of the pictures of each of 1408’s previous guests across the comforter.<br/>The one that stood out to Alyna was a photo that simply appeared to be the room, charred and empty, as opposed to the majority which featured a different person and their gruesome demise in said room.<br/>“There’s nobody in this one.” She pointed out. “Wooonder why.”<br/>“Isn’t it obvious?”<br/>Alyna smirked. “Yeah, it’s because the fire that caused all that is the reason HE GOT OUT.”<br/>“Ooorrr, it’s because his body was burnt beyond all recognition.” Jay insisted. <br/>“If you like Mike Enslin so much, remind me what you get out of proving he’s dead..” Alyna sighed. “..I mean, wouldn’t it benefit you more to find out he’s alive.”<br/>Jay sighed in frustration. “For the same reason there are <em>Nirvana</em> fans who believe Kurt Cobain was murdered. You really think anyone likes that theory? They don’t, it’s about getting to the bottom of the truth. <br/>“Alriiight, suppose you have a point there…” Alyna admitted in defeat.<br/>A smirk grew on Jay’s face. “Well, anyway, I’m not actually going to <em>1408</em> until about midnight, which is still a few hours away…don’t wanna get noticed by anyone coming in or out of their rooms, if we can help it.”<br/>Alyna nodded and glanced at her watch. “Alright, well it iiisss 8:21 now, which means we have almost three and a half hours til then.”<br/>“So, we do.” Jay agreed<br/>“Sooo…” Alyna sat up on the bed. “...Whatcha wanna do in the meantime?”<br/>Jay looked back up from their photos at her with a grin. “ I maaay or may not have a few ideas in mind….”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jay looked at their watch as they stood up off the bed and proceeded to grab what they would be taking with them for their time in the infamous room <em>1408</em>.<br/>They tucked their tape recorder in their jeans pocket, for easy reach, as they looked over their checklist. “Alright, I think that’s everything….”<br/>“<em>Almost</em> everything.” Alyna corrected with a smirk. “Your fly’s open.<br/>“Shit!” Jay chuckled, looking down and grabbing their pants zipper up.</p><p>Jay gathered up some tools which they were gonna use to bypass the lock of <em>1408</em> and slipped them into an outside pocket of their messenger bag.<br/>Alyna looked at them, puzzled, as they also slipped a cigarette out of their pocket and placed it over their ear. “Since when do you smoke?”<br/>They chuckled, picking it back up to make their point. “More a good luck measure of sorts than for actual use. You see, while Mike Enslin gave up smoking long before his death, he always brought one with him whenever he spent the night somewhere. Part habit, part superstition as he put it,”<br/>Alyna nodded. “Remind me how that’s <em>good</em> luck if he died in the room, as you so claim?”<br/>“Because…” They sighed. “He brought one with him on <em>every</em> trip. Not just that one night in <em>1408</em>.”<br/>Alyna rolled her eyes. “Right, my bad.”<br/>“Yeah, your bad.” Jay snickered. “Now, your phone is charged. Right?”<br/>“What’s that got to do with you breaking into a room?”<br/>“It’s our cover.” Jay explained. “Somebody sees us, you gotta pull it up and act like you’re taking pictures of me in front of the room.”<br/>“What? What happened to I <em>don’t have to go anywhere near it?</em>” Alyna blurted out. <br/>“It had to get chucked when I realized it would be a better idea to have you stand guard, make sure no one’s coming, and to then become part of my cover if anyone does happen to walk by before I get in the room.<br/>Alyna shook her head in dismay. “Once again, you are not arguing fair…” She sighed as she gave it some more thought. <br/>“I swear, I’ll make it up to you.”Jay promised, placing their hands lovingly on her shoulders.<br/>“I know you will.” She sighed. “.......Alright, I’ll do it.”<br/>“Yes!” Jay beamed, wrapping their arms around her. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, you won’t regret it.”<br/>“You’d better hope, for your sake, that’s true. Alyna sighed, shaking her head again, as if trying to shake the concerns from her mind. “Anyway, you got everything, you ready?”<br/>Jay grabbed the tape recorder out of their pocket, bringing it close to their face and whispering  into it. “Honey, I’ve been ready.”<br/>“Right.” Alyna sighed, opening the door for them. “Lead the way, then.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jay held up their phone to record each of the room numbers they passed, as the two of them made their way down the long, dimly lit hallway.<br/>“So far, not a soul in sight.” Jay noted, as they peered around the area which appeared to be empty with the exception of some food dishes that sat outside a few of the rooms, waiting to be picked up.<br/>“To add on to the words of the late Mr. Enslin himself, I feel compelled to note that hotel rooms <em>and</em> the hallways that lead to them are indeed a naturally creepy place.” Jay spoke into their trusty tape recorder. “....How many people wandere these halls before us? How many were blissfully unaware that the steps taken down this very hall would be some of the last they ever took? …….How many walked through these doorways, never to walk back out?</p><p> </p><p>“....aaand <em>1408</em>…” Jay announced when they finally reached the infamous room number.<br/>They removed the tools they’d packed in order to get passed the lock, while Alyna kept herself a good distance away from the room.<br/>Jay got down on their knees and went to work on the lock, while Alyna kept her eye out for passersby. “Now, thankfully, whatever’s in <em>1408</em> won’t allow for the operation of electronics, so key cards are a no go for it, allowing me  to work with your typical old fashioned variety.<br/>“Thank God for small favors.” Alyna remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>It took Jay just another ten minutes to get the lock in question out of the way and crack the door open. “Got it!”<br/>Alyna stood with her arms folded, staring back at him with concern in her eyes.<br/>Jay wedged the door open with one of their bags as they redirected their attention back to her.<br/>“I’m only going to stay in here a couple of hours.” They reminded her, gently. “Even less, if I get what I need before then….alright.”<br/>“I know you will.” She gave them a final kiss. “....Just be careful, alright?”<br/>“You know it, babe.” They whispered, kissing her on the cheek. “I love you.”<br/>“I love you more.” She whispered back.<br/>“Doubtful.” They teased, picking their stuff back up. “See you in a couple hours.”<br/>“You’d better.”</p><p>They watched her walk away, until she disappeared back into their room.<br/>They took a deep breath before entering the room. “Here goes nothing…”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>